I have a pocket dictionary I keep in the navigation desk of our 1978 Catalina 30 called Sailing: The Fine Art of Getting Wet and Becoming Sick, While Slowly Going No Where at a Great Expense. Even reading it now gives me a chuckle as deep down there is some truth there. But if it’s such a great expense, why do we continue to do this sailing thing? Simply, I believe the answer lies within that one “particular harbor.” The freedom to go sailing where and when you want, finding a cove to set anchor, and harnessing wind to move is well, kind of cool. However, that one “particular harbor” has a cost.
To continue reading this article or issue you must be a paid subscriber. Sign in
Subscribe to Practical Sailor
Get full access to Practical Sailor - over 4,000 articles - for just $34.
Subscribe today and save 42% off the annual rate.
Learned to sail – and joined a sailing club – in Croton-on-Hudson, directly across from you at Haverstraw, and since purchasing a boat, have called Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City our port of call. The contrast between the two areas couldn’t be more stark, and both are very fun to cruise around, whether for a day sail, or an extended trip. The brackish water in the Morris Canal Basin doesn’t freeze easily, which allows us to keep the boat in the slip year-round. (Plus, the marina uses a bubbler system to prevent freezing if it tries to occur.) Like you, we chose the marina due to proximity to our home – about 30 minutes – and easy access to the Hudson, Long Island Sound, and Atlantic Ocean. The whale watching this fall, just off the Rockaways, was exceptional. Will look for “Rock Steady” when we’re cruising through the area next season. If you hear a horn blast from 36-foot Ericson named “Radiance,” that’ll be us saying hello. 🙂
Hello neighbor! Sounds like this article was made for you with all the familiar places. I like hearing about how and where people learn to sail and where it takes them. You are quite close to Sandy Hook bay/Highlands, an area I like to drive down to for a beach day and some seafood. It also sounds like you make great use of your proximity to other sailing destinations docking in JC. I haven’t seen a bubbler in a while but we did try it one year, and it does help with not freezing around the hull. I’m sure you have seen this as well, but when we get a really bad winter the river can have ice chunks floating on by….so freeze happens! Thanks for reading as I seem to always find myself near the Hudson, from sailing to college, and even commuting to work (or rather sitting in traffic on the helix). Cheers and I will keep a sailors eye out for you on the water!
We go down to Sandy Hook/Atlantic Highlands for a few days each season. Grab a mooring ball at AHYC for the duration, but also head over to Horseshoe Cove on Sandy Hook, drop the hook, hike, and hit the beaches for a day or so. (Be aware for anyone visiting, one of the beaches on SH is a nude beach!) It’s a playground down here. Haven’t seen the ice chunks down here in a few years, but have certainly seen them in the past.